Wave-motor.



PATENTED JAN. 1, 1907.

F. STARR. vWAVE MOTOR. APPLICATION FILED FEB.B,1 906.

3 SHEETS-BHEET 1.

n i a I I INVENTOR. fiwpi WITNESSES:

A 7' T ORNE K5:

No. 840,460. PATENTED JAN.'1, 1907-. P. STARR.

WAVE MOTOR.

APPLIOATION FILED FEB,8,1906.

3 SHBETSSHEET 2.

INVENTOR.

- v I /264 M BY ywnrz r ATTORNEYS- WITNESSES PATENTED. JAN. 1, 1907.

P. STARR.

WAVE MOTOR.

APPLIOATION FILED PEB.B,1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3. F- 7.

INVENTOR. I J

ATTORNEYS WITNESSES..-

v tially stationary.

tonnage; but durmg ing the' position of the motor.

a detail view of the cable adjusting teningd'evice; the same.

FRED STA RR; OF

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

\ WAVE-MOTOR.

.S pecification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 1, 1907.

Application filed Eebruary8 1906- Serial No. 300,134.

.To all whom it may concern. I

' Be it known that I, FRED STARR, a citizen of the United Statesfresiding at SanFranthe countyof San Francisco and California, have invented certain Im rovements in Waveibllowing is a specifica- My invention relates to wave-motors, and more particularly to such devices in which the motion is transmitted from a float to power-transmitting mechanism through one or more reciprocatory' members connected constructing suchmotors is desirable that the float -'to be effective 'shouldbe of large area and of considerable a storm when the power and force of the waves are float is liable to damage itself. Such liability to damage can be iprevented by changoat, so that it is no sedto the direct actionor full e waves; This can be done byraising it above them or sinking it below them; but owing to the weight of the float it is better to submerge it. I therefore prefer to either wholly or partially sink or submerge it, which I doby increasing its weight. Itcan be constructed as a-hollow barge adapted to receive water ballast. As the. waveagitation is superficial and' quickly deonger ex force of th creases downwardly, it is evident that by sinking the float to a greater or less extent the force of the waves desired extent without the above indicated, or to the. bottom it will danger of damby sinking the my invention is-shown drawings, in which. elevation ofthe wave- Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line 2 2 in Fig- 1. Fig. 3 is a detail viewof one of; the guides, showing crosshead and transmissions inside elevation.

An embodiment of in the accompanying Figure 1 is a side horizontal, section of the cross-head and guides. Fig. 5 is a detail view showing man.-

ner of winding the transmission cable around the, Fig. 6 is a detail view of theclutch arrangement inthe power-drum. Fig. 7 is a vertical section of the same. 'Fig. 8 is and fas- Fig? 9 is an end elevation of I Fig. 10 is a showing mode of anchoring the barge.

1 in the desired very great the ,th

may be utilized to the 7 block 10, win h remain substan out of the opening and diagrammatical view In the drawings, 1 indicates a pier, which may be of any suitable constructionandlo cat-edat any point in-a body of water in which there is suflicient wave movement to be utilized fo generating power. below the fioat2 which position ,by

bles preferably I'1in overroll at each end extend laterall rections, so as to obstruct lateral movement and give greater stability to the float, and those at the sides preferably extend laterally ers- 4, and those longitudinallyof the float in opposite directions, so as to cross each other, andthereby secure a greater length of cable to permit of e greatest vertical movement whileobstructing the longitudinal movement of tlie oat.

Located u on the pier in osition to be pler In any suitable manner is a is preferably hollow andkept any suitable connectorsyas guy ropes or cables 3. The cay 1n opposite diconnected with and operated y the float is -the power-transmitting mechanism, which s preferably made in duplicate, and therefore the description of one will besuificient for both. Sliding between .two vertical guideways 5 is a head 6, whichis connected with the float by a 'stemor rod 7 and pitman 8, the connection at bothends of the itman consistin of a universal joint 9, which will permit 0? movement of the float in all direc-' tions, but will only transmit ments to the head 6 through the stem 7. To cause the stem'to always move in a straight line, it is passed through a guidec guidewa'ys 5" and 1s preferablyseated in an opening in the pier, as indicatedb the dotted lines 1 2 in Fig. 3. The guide-b ock, as well as the head, is preferably provided friction-rollers 13, which. engage with the. ways 5, .as they are moved vertically therebetween: The block is loosely seatedflin the opening '12, so that in case of the float being raised above its usual movement the joint 9 between the stem 7 and the pitman will ehgage-with the blockand lift it off its seat or TOIftiOn 0f the block. being s ightly inclined or msuringthat result.

To secure the neovertical move? carryit up between egam seats itself, the openin and the lower and wrapped around the over struts 17 on the sides of the ways. Turnbuckles 18 are provided for placing as-many of the rods and braces under tension as may be desired. I

The ends of the head 6 are each preferably shouldered and provided with antifriction devices, such as rollers 19, for engaging with the sides of the guideways, and they are also provided with arms or extensions 20, to each of which is connected the ends of a cable 21. The intermediate ortion of each cable is passed. over idle pulleys 22 and 23 at the top and bottom, respectively, of the guideways shell or drum portion of a clutch 24. The ends ofthe cable are preferably connected. with a suitable tightener, which is shown as comprising a drum or wheel 25, 'journaled in the arm and having pins25 in its sides for the ends of the cable and having its periphery formed into, a worm-gearing with which a worm 26 engages, said worm being adapted to be rotated in any suitable manner, as' by a hand wheel 27 Y The clutch comprises a cylindrical body 28, having inclined recesses 29 formed in its eriphery longitudinally of the body, a shel or drum 30 surrounding the body and a roller 31 in each recess, which is adapted to be engaged by the shell, except when it is seated or in the pocket or deepest portion of its recess. The body is rigidly mounted upon a shaft 32, which is provided with a powertransmitting member, as the band wheel or pulley 33. A removable wear-plate 34 is preferably secured on the flat portion of each recess to receive the ressure from the roller and-which plate can )e replaced at any time, and thereby add to the durability or life of the clutch. A steel ring 35 is also preferably inserted within the drum or casing 30 for the same purpose.

Actual'use has shown that where a strain or pressure from a float weighing thousands of pounds is abruptly and repeatedly placed upon the clutch members, whereby the rollers are forced into the gradually-tapering recesses between the body and the casing the contacting surfaces are quickly dented to such an extent that the clutch fails to act satisfactorily at all times, thereby requiring a renewal of the contacting surfaces, which is done more cheaply and quickly with the wcarplates than with solid members.

The shell 30 is preferably formed with one of its ends, as 36, removable and adapted to be'secured in position by any suitable means, as screws 37. The periphery of the drum is preferably grooved spirally, as shown at 38, and is long cnmigh to receive several turns or coils of the cable 21 and yet leave sullicient one direction or t ie other.

room-forthe travel .or lateral movement of the cable as it is ound upon the drum from journaled in a bracket 39, which is secured to one of the guideways 5 in any suitable manner and ,at any suitable height and at one side of the path or travel of the arm 20. There are two cables connected with each head and two clutches adapted to be o erated by the cables, and the inclinations o the recesses in the body portions of the two clutches are arranged in opposite directions,

'so that one clutch operates only when the head is moving in one direction and its easing runs free when the head is moving in the.

other direction, and. the other clutch operates in the same manner, but during the move ments of the head in the opposite directions, whereby one or the other of the clutches is always being 0 erated by the reciprocation of the head whi e the casing of the other one is runnin free.

The shaft 32 is.

J ournaled in suitable supports 40 at a suitable distance from each set of guidewaysfour ways being shown in each set in the drawings-is a crank-shaft 41 which is adapted to actuate'the pistons in one or more cylinders 42, three cylinders or air-pumps being shown for each shaft. The cylinders are utilized for compressing air, which may be used forany purpose, such as for actuating or driving any suitable mechanism, which, however, is not shown, as it forms no part of this invention, and the crank-shaft and cyl: inders are only shown to illustrate one means for utilizing the reciprocatory motion of the head and the rotary motion of the clutches actuated thereby. A pulley or belt-wheel 43 41, and a power-transmitter, as a belt or rope 44, passes over each wheel and its corresponding wheel 33 upon the end of the crankshaft. 1

As above described, my wave-motor is adapted for ordinary use-that is, with the Water in its normal condition; but in case a storm should arise or it should be desirable to submerge the float at an time suitable openings, as sea-cocks45, (sh lines in Fig. 1,) are opened, and water is admitted to the interior until the buoyancy of the float is counterbalanced to thedesired extent and the float passes partly or wholly under the waves, as the case may be. During this submergence or-lowering of'the float. the heads between the guideways upon the pier are drawn down a corres )o'nding distance, which will only cause t e rope connected therewith. to assume a new position upon-the clutch-casing nearer one end or the other, but without changing or affecting its mode of operation in the least. In. case the float should have any vertical movement while it is submerged, which it will have to a greater or less extent, depending upon the l own only in dotted issecured upon each end of the crank-shafts valve 49 insaid cylinder 51 t I one cylinder to the otherwhen amount of submergence, it will be transmitted to the clutches through the pitman and stems 1n the same mannerv as heretofore de- Y scribed.

When it is desired to raise the float to the y the machine itself. For this purpose a flexible conduit'or hose 46 is connected with (:1

one of the cylinders or air-pumps 42 and ex tends down to one or more cy inders 47 on the float, two such'cylinders being shown in the drawings. -A valved pi e 48 extends from one end of one of the cy 'nders into the interior of the float, so that by opening the pipe the'air from-one or both of said cylinders passes into the float and:

- forces the water out through the short p' 1 e 50, that extends from near the bottom of the float up through the topof the float ill-POSi". tion to discharge thewater back to the place omwhence it was taken. The. hose orpipe (not s 0 n) to prevent the return of the air after it as been forced into the tanks or cylinders, and it communicates with both tanks ough also permits 0f the passage of the-air from the water is being expelled from the float.

I After the float has been raised to the surface the valve 49 is closed, and the air from thetanksis ermitted to pass into a tank or.

hrough a valve 53. A piston 54 is mounted in the cylinder 51, and its piston-rod 55 is mounted in abearing 56 and connected with theforward guyro'pes 3 by means of a cross-piece 58 is mounted on the rod 55 in operatin P position for the said valve when the float is forced to the rear by the" wave actlon and to close the valve when the float returns to its normal position. n In this manner when the float starts to the rear the valve is opened, which will permit compressed air from the cylinders 47 to enter the forward end of the cylinder '51 between its head and the iston, and thereby have a tendency'to stop t he rearward movement of the float and force it forward into its normal position. With the forward move ment of the float the valve is closed and the passageof'air into the cylinder 51 is stopped.

The sidewise movements of the float are controlled so as to not lace too great an abrupt strain upon the si e guy-ropes by form- .ing a cushion of air in cylinders 59, which are placed crosswise of the float at or near its ends. and have their ends mounted in bearings 61 and connected with the 'side ropes 3 in any ner.

rovided with an ordinary check-valve crest of the waves.

"communicating branches, which greater length.

connecting-pipes 52 and the valve 53 to open is adapte ed thereon, each clutch Rods pass through these cylinders their normal position the head stands substantially midway of the length of the cylinder. As the float moves laterally in elther direction, it is cushioned by the air between said head and that end of the cylinder.

As above described, the motor is located where there is suflicient wave motion to actuate the float, and suitable means are provided for storing or converting the energy of the waves into whatever form of'ener it is esired to utilize. As soon as the cat is placed in position and the roper connectors made the movements of t e float, whether they be great or small, regular or irregular, will be transmitted to th on the pier and transformed into energy that can be utilized in a regular and uniform manner, as by being converted into electricity,

which can be transmitted plication, near or remote,

Upon th is submerged sto pingits vertical movements, which can stil be utilized for generating power the same as when-the to any point of apin the'usual mane approach of a storm the float float was riding upon the For this purpose the reciprocatory members are made. long enough to extend from the float at all times to the pier say seventy-fi e feet or even of a aving described my invention, what I- claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a wave-motor, afloat, power-transmechanism, reciprocatory members from the float to vided with a flexible portion, and meansfor submerging the float.

7 mounted ide through which said fiio be reciprocated and causing it to move in a straight line yet permitting excessive upward movement of the itman.

3. In a wave-motor,apier,clutc esmountcomprising a recessed cylindrical bodyand a surrounding 'cy-lindrical casing, a wear-plate rcmovably secured in each recess, a cylindrical wear-plate within each casing, a rotary member seated in each recess adapted to engage said wear plates, a float beneath the pier. reciprocating members flexibly connected therewi h and ex tending. above the pier, and means. for con-. 1 necting said members with said clutches.

4 In a wavemotor,' a pier. vertical guideways thereon, a head reciprocally mdunted on said ways and having ach end provided h an arm, two cables, Each connectedat its. ends with one of said arms, a clutch connected with the intermediate portion of each 130 e power-generator to a point of safety without said mechanism, each procable, power-transmitting mechanism connected with said clutch, and a float for reciprocating the head.

5. Ina wave-motor, a pier, vertical guide-.

ways thereon, a head reciprocally mounted on said ways and having each end provided with an arm, a drum in each arm, means for rotating the said drums, two cables, one for each arm and having their ends connected with said drums, a clutch connected with the intermediate ortion of each cable, said clutch being adapted to operate, respectively, when the cables are moving in o posite directions,

ower transmitting mec anism connected with said clutch, and a float for reciprocating the head.

6. Ina wave-motor, a pier, vertical guideways and a crank-shaft thereon, a head recip-.

rocally mounted on the guideways and air-v pumps connected with said shaft, two oppositely-operating clutches connected with said with said clutches, anda float for operating the head.

8. In a wave-motor, a pier, vertical guide- Ways thereon, two clutchesmounted on opposite sides of said ways, each comprising a cylindrical body having inclined recesses formed within its periphery, a wear-plate removably secured in each recess, a casing around said body, a cylindrical wearlate therein, a rotary member seated in each recess adapted to be engaged by said wearplates, respectively, a- 'head reciprocally mounted on said guideways, twocab es connected at their ends with said head and hav ing their intermediate portions coiled around said casings respectively, ower-transmittin mechanism connected wit said clutches, an a float for operating the head.

9. In a wave-motor, a hollow float, cylinders thereon for compressed air, means for 'char ing said cylinders by the movements of the oat, a'valved conduit leading from the cylinder to the interior of the float, and a ipe extending from near the bottom of the float to and through the top thereof.

10. In a Wave-motor, a float, guy-ropes connected therewith, and means for cushioning said connections by means of compressed air.

11'. In a wave-motor, a float, cylinders thereon, each provided with a piston and a rod, guy-ropes connected with said rods, and means for cushioning each iston on air between itself and the end of its cylinder.

12. In a wave-motor, a float, cylinders thereon, a piston in one of said cylinders, guy-ropes connected with the rod of said piston, means for charging the remainder of said cylinders with compressed air by the movements of the float, and means for introducing said air into the first-mentioned cylinder between its end and the piston for counteracting the movement of the float to the rear.

13. In a wave-motor, a float, communicatin cylinders thereon, a piston in one of said cy inders, guy-ropes connected with the rod of the piston, means for charging the remainder of said cylinders with compressed air by the movements of the float, a valve for permitting a portion of said air to pass into the first-mentioned cylinder between its end and the piston for counteracting the seaward movement of the float, and a projection on said piston-rodfor actuating the valve as the float is moved longitudinally.

= In testimony whereof I aflixmy signature,

in presence of two witnesses, this 31st day'of January, 1906.

Witnesses: Y

M. R. SEELY,

F. M. BARTEL.

FRED ST RR. 

